NIGRISOLI, Francesco Maria (1648-1727). Considerazioni intorno alla generazione de' viventi e particolarmente de' mostri. Ferrara: Bernardino Barbieri, 1712. Good copy of the first edition, particularly sought after for its curious plates, of the most significant embryological work by Nigrisoli. Addressed to the physician Dionisio Andrea Sancassani, the treatise defends the idea that both animal and plant life originate from seed or egg, adhering to the preformationist theories of Malpighi against the spontaneous generation theories of Sbaraglia and Buonanni. Nigrisoli nevertheless attempts a mediation between mechanism and finalism, postulating the existence of an immanent active principle in matter -drawing on the thought of Cudworth and Leibniz ; which guides the process of generation as a divine force analogous to light. 4to (220 x 160mm). 3 folding engraved plates, uncut (light browning). Contemporary rustic paper. Provenance: 'Dr Zamboni' (early 20th-century ownership stamp to endleaves)